1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a sound device for enhancing gift containers or packages, such as by providing sound when the gift container is opened. The invention also is directed to a system and method for marketing such a device.
2. Related Art
People enjoy celebrating by having a party and giving gifts. Often such celebrations are brought on by a significant event—such as a wedding or a child birth—or by a holiday. The gifts, and even the packaging for the gifts, are often carefully chosen to provide the greatest pleasure to the person receiving the gift and also to lend an even more festive atmosphere to the celebration. The gift is often wrapped in festive paper, adorned with a ribbon, and accompanied by a card.
In an effort to enliven gift packaging, some gift cards will play a tune when opened. A conventional, electronic sound module used in such gift cards is shown in FIG. 16. The conventional sound module comprises batteries 1001 powering an integrated circuit 1000 and a speaker 1010. Power is supplied or interrupted to the integrated circuit 1000 by way of a switch 1020, which comprises a pair of contacts. One contact is in the form of a flexible, conductive leaf 1022 and the other is in the form of a conductive plate (not shown). Disposed between the conductive leaf 1022 and the conductive plate is one end of an insulating tongue 1024. The other end of the tongue 1024 protrudes from the sound module in cantilever fashion. The tongue 1024 can be moved along arrow A, parallel to its axis, so that a greater or lesser extent of the tongue 1024 is disposed on the outside of the sound module.
When the tongue 1024 is disposed substantially within the sound module, the tongue is interposed between the leaf 1022 and the plate, preventing contact. With the tongue 1024 in this position, the switch is off, no power is supplied to the integrated circuit, and the sound module is silent. When the tongue 1024 is disposed substantially on the outside of the sound module, the leaf 1022 and the plate are in contact and power is supplied to the integrated circuit 1000. The integrated circuit 1000 then provides current to the speaker 1010 to drive the speaker 1010 and produce a tune or other sound.
In a conventional, tune-playing gift card, the sound module shown in FIG. 16 is adhered to one flap of the card, in some cases behind a decorative flap. The tongue extends across the crease of the card and is adhered to the opposite flap. This relative disposition of the tongue and the sound module causes the tongue to be moved away from the sound module when the card is opened, permitting the leaf and the plate to come in contact. As a result, a tune is played. When the card is closed, the tongue is interposed between the leaf and the plate and the tune ceases.
Although the conventional, music-playing card enlivens a typical gift card, it does not help a consumer that likes the idea of playing a tune but does not want to have a tune played in a card or that does not like the music-playing cards available. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a generic sound module. That is, there is a need for a sound module that can be packaged and marketed by itself and that can be used with any consumer gift package or container. Moreover, there is a need for a system and method by which a plurality of such devices can be marketed so that the consumer can choose any one of the plurality of devices to use with a particular gift container.